cruiserhead

I want to take my bike to Canada to ride while i'm there.

1. Shipping the bike, they say I need a "temporary import" to avoid duties and paying taxes on my bike.
There is about 100CND in brokerage fees.

Has anyone heard of this before?

2. Taking the bike on the airplane with me.
What has your experience been with flying with your bike into Canada from the USA?
Obviously oversize baggage fees, but any problems clearing customs or anything else?

thanks for any insights or advice

Up North

Purchase Receipt with serial number should be all you need for customs. Depending on airlines the oversize fee is generally less than shipping and brokerage fee. If you take it as oversize luggage the receipt for the oversize bike box will also be proof that you did not buy it in Canada. I'm in Canada and take bike to Arizona to ride and on flight is way I go as it is safest and most afordable way. I do have a hard case for the bike (Bike Box Allen case).

cruiserhead

Thank you Up North! I'll do the airline route.

DorkDisk

Ive used a Trico hardcase to take bikes to Canada via airline. They don't charge for oversize, but for the fact that it is a bicycle. You can carry a huge anything-but-a-bike and not get charged the fee. It makes no sense but that's how those scammy airlines work. I weigh 135 lbs and they still charge me for for ten lbs of overweight bags. Whatever. The bike fee includes insurance so that's something

Some bike shops rent travel cases, or you can have them box it up for like 30 bucks. I've never been hassled by customs in any country about bicycles. But then my bikes are obviously used and I clearly look like I ride bikes with a sharp farmers tan and strong legs. They will ask whats in the box, but that's been about it for me.

seedsbelize 

I fly my bikes to the US and back to Mexico on a pretty regular basis. Flying United, they have waived the oversize charge every time (in fact it never has come up), if the box is within reason. At IAD they have a special line for oversize even. I have an S and S coupled bike, in a hard case and, even though it is not oversize, they treat it as such. Can't speak for Canada. A bit of a strange beast that one.
Arrival in Cancun a few weeks ago. I brought another frameset that I purchased there.

jefnvk

Who are you flying with?

I drove my bikes over the border twice in the past year from Detroit, once to fly out of Toronto and last weekend for a charity ride. Customs guy at the car border didn't seem to care coming into the country either time, boxed up or on a rack. Likewise on the return in the plane, the only thing customs asked was if they were new or used, and if they were going back to the US with me, and when they heard they were, they sent me on my way.

I'd imagine in general, clearing customs is much easier when the goods accompany you, not when they are by themselves. Especially so, if they are new or like-new.